History Main / YouDontWantToCatchThis

* There is some TruthInTelevision here. [[SelfFulfillingProphecy Insanity was believed to be contagious during the MiddleAges]]. This belief was exploited by the population of an [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wise_Men_of_Gotham English town]] who, not desiring to have the King's procession pass through (as that would result in inevitable expenses and taxation), feigned madness en masse. Seeing an entire town full of crazy people succeeded in causing the King to keep away.

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* There is some TruthInTelevision here. [[SelfFulfillingProphecy Insanity was believed to be contagious during the MiddleAges]].MiddleAges. This belief was exploited by the population of an [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wise_Men_of_Gotham English town]] who, not desiring to have the King's procession pass through (as that would result in inevitable expenses and taxation), feigned madness en masse. Seeing an entire town full of crazy people succeeded in causing the King to keep away.

* In an episode of ''Master Raindrop'', someone pretends the elements are his bodyguards and claims they're sick and the villains might catch the germs to invent them looking into their faces and recognizing them.

* In ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyTheMovie2017'', Capper warns his fellow Klugetown residents that the Mane Six are infected with the in-universe fictional disease [[CanisLatinicus "pastellis coloritis"]], taking advantage of the ponies' natural vivid colors. [[spoiler: Later, one of the Residents wisens up to the ruse, but confronts ''[[TheDragon Tempest Shadow]]'' about it, who promptly [[CurbStompBattle hands his cupcakes to him.]]]]

* At least two Francise/ArchieComics have used a gag where Archie hears that Mr. Weatherby is going to visit his house to give his parents news (assumed to be about Archie's misbehavior at school) and tries to prevent it by disguising himself as an old woman and pretending that the Andrews family moved away and there's currently a very ill child on the premises.--> It's no wonder the Andrews family moved away so suddenly. I must remember to buy a quarantine sign!

* In the ''WesternAnimation/WhatsWithAndy'' episode "Emergency Spew Relish", [[ThePrankster Andy and Danny]] are trying to clear everyone off a train car and Andy tells one man that he has "rhino-googly-osis", which works.

There's also a version where a character is in danger of being raped, and she deceives the rapist into thinking she has an STD, so that, if the ruse is successful, the rapist loses interest. In a less dramatic version, A woman could turn down a man's pick-up lines by claiming to have the disease.

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There's also a version where a character is in danger of being raped, and she deceives the rapist into thinking she has an STD, so that, that if the ruse is successful, the rapist loses interest. In a less dramatic version, A a woman could turn down a man's pick-up lines by claiming to have the a disease.

* In the Creator/MichaelCrichton novel ''Literature/TheGreatTrainRobbery,'' Agar the safe-cracker is smuggled onto the train in a coffin. The coffin has an alarm (these were the days when PrematureBurial was a serious fear among many), and the alarm is deliberately triggered so that the coffin will be opened-- showing Agar looking (and smelling) quite dead. However, to prevent a closer examination, fellow-conspirator Miriam, playing Agar's bereaved sister, insists that if the alarm went off he couldn't ''possibly'' have died of cholera! The platform is rather quickly cleared...

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* In the Creator/MichaelCrichton novel ''Literature/TheGreatTrainRobbery,'' Agar the safe-cracker is smuggled onto the train in a coffin. The coffin has an alarm (these were the days when PrematureBurial was a serious fear among many), and the alarm is deliberately triggered so that the coffin will be opened-- showing Agar looking (and smelling) quite dead. However, to prevent a closer examination, fellow-conspirator Miriam, playing Agar's bereaved sister, insists that if the alarm went off he couldn't ''possibly'' have died of cholera! The platform is rather quickly cleared...cleared and Agar's coffin closed and loaded posthaste...

* In the Creator/MichaelCrichton novel ''Literature/TheGreatTrainRobbery'' (loosely based on a true story), conspirator Miss Miriam is disguised as a prostitute, in order to blend in with a crowd. She soon finds a bystander is interested in availing himself of her services. Rather than make a scene and break character, she returns his advances...while scratching furiously. He accuses her of having smallpox, and swiftly loses interest.

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* In the Creator/MichaelCrichton novel ''Literature/TheGreatTrainRobbery'' (loosely based on a true story), conspirator Miss Miriam ''Literature/TheGreatTrainRobbery,'' Agar the safe-cracker is disguised as a prostitute, smuggled onto the train in order to blend in with a crowd. She soon finds coffin. The coffin has an alarm (these were the days when PrematureBurial was a bystander is interested in availing himself of her services. Rather than make a scene serious fear among many), and break character, she returns his advances...while scratching furiously. He accuses her the alarm is deliberately triggered so that the coffin will be opened-- showing Agar looking (and smelling) quite dead. However, to prevent a closer examination, fellow-conspirator Miriam, playing Agar's bereaved sister, insists that if the alarm went off he couldn't ''possibly'' have died of having smallpox, and swiftly loses interest.cholera! The platform is rather quickly cleared...

* In "The Adventure of the Dying Detective", Literature/SherlockHolmes pulls this on Dr. Watson, in order to lure the person who tried (but failed) to infect him with a lethal virus into a trap. Watson, [[BadLiar not being a particularly good liar]], [[WeWouldHaveToldYouBut wouldn't have been convincing enough if he knew what was really going on]], so Holmes has to keep him from getting close enough to discover that he's only feigning illness.

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* In "The Adventure of the Dying Detective", Literature/SherlockHolmes pulls this on Dr. Watson, in order to lure the person who tried (but failed) to infect him with a lethal virus into a trap. Watson, being a skilled doctor [[BadLiar but not being a particularly good liar]], [[WeWouldHaveToldYouBut wouldn't have been convincing enough if he knew what was really going on]], so Holmes has to keep him from getting close enough to discover that he's only feigning illness.

* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'' used the vaporizing flu [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0387.html in this comic]]. One of the guards asks if it's contagious, and Elan says, "Yes, but oddly enough only if you stand around in places where a previous victim has died and ask questions."* Subverted in ''Webcomic/PennyArcade'' - Gabe's ploy of telling his wife he has "[[http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2007/11/26/ Fisherman's Mouth]]" fails, since she's already had it once, and is now immune ([[spoiler:or rather, Tycho tipped her off that it was a fake disease]]).* In ''Webcomic/TrueMagic'', the villagers spot themselves with jam and put up a sign saying, "Visitors Beware: Peasant Pox, Highly Contagious" to keep the nobles away after the heroes leave.* In ''Webcomic/KnightsOfBuenaVista'', a lady asks Adriana, whose PlayerCharacter had just been crowned queen, to kiss her baby. Adriana says she think she's coming down with something, as she's trying to get through the crowd before her dangerous secret is found out.

* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'' used the vaporizing flu [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0387.html in this comic]]. One of the guards asks if it's contagious, and Elan says, "Yes, but oddly enough only if you stand around in places where a previous victim has died and ask questions."* Subverted in ''Webcomic/PennyArcade'' - Gabe's ploy of telling his wife he has "[[http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2007/11/26/ Fisherman's Mouth]]" fails, since she's already had it once, and is now immune ([[spoiler:or rather, Tycho tipped her off that it was a fake disease]]).* In ''Webcomic/TrueMagic'', the villagers spot themselves with jam and put up a sign saying, "Visitors Beware: Peasant Pox, Highly Contagious" to keep the nobles away after the heroes leave.* In ''Webcomic/KnightsOfBuenaVista'', a lady asks Adriana, whose PlayerCharacter had just been crowned queen, to kiss her baby. Adriana says she think she's coming down with something, as she's trying to get through the crowd before her dangerous secret is found out.

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